Of course, great teachers have to understand swing mechanics, but they must also be able to connect with students on an emotional level. This is the desired quality that leads many golfers to look for a woman teaching pro. "Female instructors put me at ease in a different way," says Mary Zorcik, a 55-year-old weekend golfer from Foxfire Village, N.C. Mary's husband, Lenny, 72, also prefers taking lessons from a woman. "Like me, a female pro has never had the luxury of relying on brute force to hit the ball well, so her swing is more technically sound," he says.

For the first time, Golf Digest has ranked the 50 Best Women Teachers in America, as voted by their peers. We sent ballots to more than 1,100 female PGA of America members and LPGA Teaching & Club Professionals, and they produced a list of instructors with a combined 1,329 years of teaching experience in 21 states. Among our honorees you'll find a major champion, groundbreaking mental-game coaches and doctors of education. Best of all, every one of our teachers is taking appointments from the public. Go ahead, book one now.

Nilsson, best known as Annika Sorenstam's coach, believes in the complete-game teaching approach. She and fellow teacher Lynn Marriott operate the Vision 54 golf schools -- named for the score you would have if you birdied every hole. Nilsson and Marriott start with the idea that every player has "unlimited" potential. Ranked 18th on Golf Digest's 50 Best Teachers in America, Nilsson was awarded the King of Sweden's Medal of the 8th Dimension for her leadership in sports in 1998.

Alongside Pia Nilsson, Marriott uses an integrated teaching philosophy that focuses on the physical, technical, mental, emotional and social aspects of the game. Her students include the PGA Tour's Kevin Streelman and LGPA Tour standout Ai Miyazato. Marriott is ranked T-37 on Golf Digest's 50 Best Teachers list. In 2008, the LPGA's Teaching & Club Professionals division (T&CP) honored Marriott with the Ellen Griffin Rolex Award for her contributions to teaching golf.

Rader, an LPGA Master Professional with 30 years teaching experience, is national president of the LPGA's T&CP division. Ranked 46th on Golf Digest's 50 Best Teachers list, Rader works with everyone from elite players to beginners.

Bell was the first woman inducted into the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame, in 2004. She also founded the Golfari golf school for women, at Pine Needles. Bell, 88, was an accomplished amateur and a former tour player. She also played a key role in the founding of the LPGA Tour.

Best known as the first woman in 58 years to qualify for a PGA Tour event (the 2003 Greater Hartford Open), Whaley is a member of the PGA of America's National Instruction committee and an incoming board member of the PGA of America. She teaches golfers of all ages and abilities.

Peterson's 30-year career at Sea Island has earned her several accolades, including LPGA T&CP National Teacher of the Year (1996) and Georgia PGA Section Teacher of the Year (1997). She's ranked T-40 on Golf Digest's 50 Best Teachers list.

Murphy, the 2001 LPGA T&CP National Teacher of the Year, primarily teaches competitive golfers and uses an integrated technique that analyzes physical behaviors, psychological thoughts and fundamental principles of motion. Clubfitting is also part of her curriculum.

Crews is an assistant research professor at ASU who focuses on mental-game coaching. She works with ASU's golf teams and LPGA Tour players such as Anna Nordqvist, and conducts teacher training for the LPGA National Education Program.

Thompson, a former national president of the LPGA T&CP (1981-'85), is an Ellen Griffin Rolex Award winner (2002) and member of the LPGA T&CP Hall of Fame. In May and June, she's a staff teacher for Peggy Kirk Bell's Golfari golf school in Southern Pines, N.C.

White, winner of the 1976 U.S. Women's Amateur and three LPGA Tour titles, has earned several awards, including the Ellen Griffin Rolex Award (2006) and LPGA T&CP National Professional of the Year (2008). White believes in creating personalized lesson programs for each student.

A Level 3 certified teacher for Jim Hardy's Plane Truth Golf Schools, LaBauve teaches players of all ages and abilities to read their ball flights to correct their swing flaws. She is also the founder of the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program.

Before relocating to Florida in 2008, Anderson won five Met PGA Section Women's Player of the Year awards (2000-'04) and was named the 2006 LPGA T&CP National Teacher of the Year. She works with women, seniors, juniors and golfers with disabilities.

Klippel, an LPGA Master Professional, has been teaching for more than 35 years and was inducted into the LPGA T&CP Hall of Fame in 2009. A custom-clubmaker since 1975, she's recognized by the industry as an expert in clubfitting.

An accomplished player and two-time LPGA T&CP Northeast Section Teacher of the Year, Miller competes on the Legends Tour (the official senior tour of the LPGA). Her lesson plans include four-day "boot camp" golf schools for juniors and adults.

During her years as a tour player in the '80s, Cole won 14 titles worldwide. She has been with the Dana Rader Golf School since 1991 and is now a managing partner. A two-time LPGA T&CP Southeast Section Teacher of the Year, she also serves as an LPGA National Evaluator.

A three-time Met PGA Section Women's Player of the Year (1997-'99), Maxfeldt was one of the first women head pros in the Northeast. She specializes in playing lessons and teaching her students on-course confidence.

Dengler, who has studied golf fitness and mental techniques, takes a holistic approach to teaching. To give students an overhaul of their game, she works with nutritionists, psychologists and motor-control experts.

Beck earned the LPGA's 2008 Nancy Lopez Golf Achievement Award (given to an LPGA professional who "gives back to the game") for her commitment to junior golf. A member of the PGA of America's President's Council, Beck develops national programs to promote the game of golf to juniors.

Vangellow, the LPGA T&CP's national vice president, is a lead instructor for the LPGA's National Education Program. She has a master's degree in educational leadership/psychology, and her lessons cover skill development, clubfitting and wellness.

During 49 years of teaching, Mann has given more than 700 clinics, but she prefers individual instruction and playing lessons. A 38-time LPGA Tour winner (including two majors) and a member of the LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame, Mann is known as "a teacher for highly motivated people."

Powell is the only African-American woman Class-A LPGA and PGA of America professional. She has earned several teaching accolades, including the PGA of America's First Lady of Golf Award (2003), the LPGA's Budget Service Award (1999) and the Rolex "For the Love of the Game" Award (2007).

Palacios-Jansen, the 2008 LPGA T&CP National Teacher of the Year, is a certified personal trainer and Pilates teacher who incorporates fitness training into her teaching. (She has developed an exercise program called Cardiogolf.)

The LPGA T&CP's 2008 Western Section Teacher of the Year and an LPGA National Education Program teacher, Hayes is a certified golf-fitness instructor who includes clubfitting and physical assessments in her teaching.

The LPGA T&CP's 2007 Northeast Section Teacher of the Year and Player of the Year, Jones followed a career as an international tour player with one as a teacher of beginners. Her background in exercise physiology helps Jones evaluate a student's motion so she can customize her teaching to the player's needs.

Butcher splits her time between competitive students and beginners. A two-time LPGA T&CP Midwest Section Teacher of the Year (2002 and 2006), she offers short-game schools, weekend golf experiences, private lessons and junior programs.

The first New Zealander to play on the LPGA Tour (1974-'89), Smith became an instructor after retiring from competitive golf. She teaches men and women and enjoys giving a weekly beginners' clinic that includes course management and short-game instruction.

Usher, the LPGA T&CP's 2005 Western Section Teacher of the Year, offers instruction plans for golfers of all abilities. These include golf schools, clinics, on-course playing experiences and videotaped lessons.

Dunton, the LPGA T&CP's National Teacher of the Year in 2002 and a two-time PGA of America Section Teacher of the Year (New Jersey in 2001 and Carolinas in 2006) is a certified Plane Truth instructor. She specializes in short-game instruction.

T-35. LYNN STELLMAN

Martin County G. & C.C. Stuart, Fla. (772-287-3747)

Stellman has had several positions within the LPGA T&CP, including serving on its Executive Committee and as president and treasurer of the Southeast section. She gives private lessons and clinics to players of all abilities.

As a certified GolfTec instructor (and in 2008 the first woman to be named GolfTec's Teacher of the Year), Gustafson gives more than 2,000 lessons a year, incorporating video, Internet lessons and biomechanical motion analysis.

Bonhurst Smith puts her students through ClubGolf's swing-biomechanics program, which includes 3-D video swing analysis and a 30-step physical evaluation. She is a two-time LPGA T&CP Northeast Section Teacher of the Year (2004 and 2009).

In 39 years of teaching, McMahon has received the LPGA T&CP's National Teacher of the Year Award (1995), the Northeastern New York PGA Section Teacher of the Year Award (2009) and the LPGA's Ellen Griffin Rolex Award (2009). She specializes in individual lessons.

As a certified personal trainer and TPI instructor, Zamboni -- the LPGA T&CP's 2007 National Teacher of the Year -- places great importance on conditioning. She incorporates fitness evaluations into her student assessments and builds a lesson plan around each player's physical abilities.

Harris (the LPGA T&CP's 2006 Southeast Section Teacher of the Year) has three degrees in health and physical education and a doctorate in adult education with an emphasis on gerontology (the study of aging). She specializes in teaching beginners over the age of 50.

The LPGA T&CP's Western Section Teacher of the Year in 2007, Furst runs a weekly women's clinic but otherwise puts no gender or age limitations on her teaching. She places great emphasis on course management, setup, balance and posture.

A four-time LPGA T&CP Central Section Teacher of the Year (1996, 1999, 2003, 2008) and the 1999 National Teacher of the Year, Fox offers instruction to tour players and elite amateurs as well as beginners and players with disabilities. She focuses on the fundamentals and keeps her instruction as simple as possible.

Gook is a certified TPI instructor who teaches junior programs based on long-term athletic development in accordance with TPI principles. She also teaches advanced players and runs senior and women's clinics.

Hart Wood, the sister of PGA Tour player Dudley Hart, specializes in private and corporate clinics and teaches many women and juniors. She is the founder of the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf club of South Florida.

The only woman to be named the Pacific Northwest PGA Section Teacher of the Year (2003), Marquis is known for taking juniors to the level of scholarship-earning college stars. (The PGA Tour's Alex Prugh was one of her early students.)

Ortega spent 12 years working with Mike McGetrick at the McGetrick Golf Academy before starting her golf school in 2006. The 2005 LPGA T&CP Central Section Teacher of the Year, she specializes in video instruction and is an experienced putterfitter.

A longtime student of the late Harvey Penick and a three-time LPGA Tour winner, Cullen won the LPGA's Ellen Griffin Rolex Award in 2007 and was inducted into the Women's Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame in '08. She works with players of all abilities.

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